Chixing stared at the words on the phone screen, he couldn't count how many times he had read them. He didn't know what his mood was like, only an endless anger that swept over him, engulfing his whole heart.
"58, we have arrived." The western part of the city was quite far from the east.
The middle-aged driver looked back and thought to himself, "Why is this handsome young man's face so dark?" Right after that, he was handed a red Mao badge and was told, "No need to look for change," before the young man pushed the door and got off.
As he walked, Chixing's phone was put in his pocket, and his breathing felt heavy. The spring breeze ruffled his dark, messy hair, and he remained silent.
Can you like me forever?
Chixing couldn't understand why Lin Shicha could be shameless to this extent. She was the one who hurt him, the one who did something to him that needed an apology. How could she have the face to speak in a tone as warm and soft as before, as if nothing had ever happened?
As he thought about it, Chixing felt like he couldn't take another step, so he stopped and stood by the road. The sky was gradually darkening, and the vehicles whizzed by, emitting a foul smell of exhaust.
Chixing's eyes suddenly reddened, and he muttered to himself, "The exhaust fumes are too suffocating," and then cursed under his breath.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Lin Chunhua was busy handling a scary-looking kitchen knife, skillfully descaling the fish over the sink. Hearing some noise, she straightened her body and continued her work, "You're back? Didn't you have evening self-study today?" Lin Chunhua finished preparing the fish, washed her hands, and walked out of the kitchen, wiping them on her apron.
"No, I didn't," Chixing replied.
Lin Chunhua smiled, "Good girl, I bought fresh fish from the market this afternoon, I'll make some soup for you later. Do you want me to add some tender tofu?" She looked at her granddaughter, who hung her school bag on the sofa and took off her uniform jacket.
"Yes, tofu tastes good," she replied in a casual tone, but then she reached out and naturally held Lin Chunhua's hand.
Lin Chunhua was taken aback by her action and didn't react at first. Then she held her hand back, feeling how tender and delicate it was, and couldn't help but say, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, the food in the school cafeteria was so bad today, I kind of miss grandma's cooking," she said.
For Lin Chunhua, nothing could be more touching than this statement. She smiled, "You'll have the meal soon."
Lin Chunhua's palm was also calloused, and Lin Shicha silently touched it for a moment. Just as Lin Chunhua was about to wonder if her granddaughter was in a bad mood, she let go of her hand and stood outside the kitchen door, gazing at Lin Chunhua's busy figure, then lowered her eyelashes lightly.
"Why are you standing there? Go change your clothes and wash your hands. Come and help me in the kitchen."
"Okay," Lin Shicha responded quickly.
In no time, Lin Shicha changed into a long-sleeved shirt and pants, put on bunny ear slippers, tied her long waist-length hair up, and a few strands of hair hung down from the sides. She looked particularly pure beneath her neat bangs.
Lin Chunhua looked at her for a moment, "My granddaughter is really beautiful."
Lin Shicha blinked and then smiled as they looked at each other.
At 7:30 in the evening, there were two dishes and a soup on the dining table, along with rice for each person. Lin Chunhua brought out two bottles of medicine from the room and put them on the table, pushing them towards Lin Shicha, "I bought two more from the hospital. Remember to take them on time. Don't forget to bring the ones in your school bag to school."
As she sat down and picked up some vegetables to eat, she served Lin Shicha a bowl of fish soup.
Lin Shicha's eyes paused on the medicine bottles for a full three seconds before she took them with a low grunt of acknowledgment.
"I know you're impatient with taking the medicine, but I've saved enough money now. You can have the surgery during the summer vacation. Then you can be just like an ordinary person," Lin Chunhua finally showed a hint of relaxation. "You can go shopping, sing, dance, and do everything like other girls."
Like other people...
After taking a sip of the fish soup, the smooth tofu slid down her throat without needing to be bitten, and then, after a pause, she said, "Grandma, I won't have the surgery."
Unexpectedly, Lin Chunhua's face immediately darkened when she heard this statement, "What do you mean you won't? You must have the surgery!"
"Do you think I don't know about your rheumatoid arthritis?" Lin Shicha retorted, looking at Lin Chunhua's legs. "I don't want you to end up needing a cane in the future. First, let's cure your ailments, and then we can talk about my situation."
Lin Chunhua's expression stiffened, seemingly embarrassed, but thankfully, as the elder, she managed to maintain a straight face and not reveal much. "It's not a big deal. Compared to your situation, mine is nothing," she said, but as she spoke, she became easily agitated and angry.
Lin Shicha naturally raised her head, "But I'm still young, I have a long life ahead, you are more important."
This statement was not very pleasant, but Lin Shicha meant to use it to silence Lin Chunhua.
Indeed, Lin Chunhua was taken aback and found no words to refute the statement.
After dinner, Lin Shicha took a shower and dried her hair. The notification sound from her phone came a little late. She put down the hairdryer and checked her phone.
- If you were me, what would you do?
Chixing wanted her to consider things from his perspective, but Lin Shicha only glanced at it and then put down her phone. She hung her towel back in place, leaning against the washing machine, and saw that 'Silence' had changed his status with only one sentence: "I have returned after traveling a thousand miles."
I have returned after traveling a thousand miles.
Lin Shicha noticed several unfamiliar IDs commenting below. She was puzzled at how this typically optimistic boy, 'Silence,' could suddenly write such a mournful sentence.
After reading it for a while, Lin Shicha put away her phone, closed the bathroom door, and only then noticed that the light in Lin Chunhua's room was still on. She hesitated for a moment before slowly walking over. The door wasn't closed completely, leaving a narrow gap with a soft orange light seeping out, not glaring but rather gentle.
Lin Chunhua was standing by the door, holding a photo frame and wiping away tears. Her back was bent, and it seemed like she wasn't able to stand for too long, so she had taken a seat by the bed. Every now and then, she gently touched the photo frame, murmuring something to herself.
"... You left too early..."
"This child now... Stubborn... Suddenly doesn't want the surgery... What will I do if something happens..."
"I only have her."
The last sentence was particularly clear—her voice was old, tired, and filled with anxiety and sorrow. The words echoed in Lin Shicha's heart, hitting it over and over.
Lin Shicha didn't cry, or rather, she didn't even know how to cry. She didn't know how to express her grief. Her heart was in turmoil, and she thought about many things, like a pillar standing outside the door.
Lin Shicha's grandfather had passed away the year she was born, and just that year, their hometown experienced continuous rain, which caused an accident due to a collapsed house. Even though the village provided some compensation, it couldn't make up for the loss. Lin Shicha's grandparents had been in love even before the founding of the country, and they were a rare example of a couple who had freely chosen to be together.
Grandfather's passing brought a great impact to Lin Chunhua, as can be imagined.
However, shortly after, mother became pregnant, and this good news somewhat alleviated some of Lin Chunhua's heartache. She devoted all her attention to this pregnancy, and after the birth of Lin Shicha, she naturally doted on her. However, her parents' relationship was not good, and they divorced two years after her birth, each starting a new family.
At first, Lin Shicha experienced the embarrassment of being treated like a ball, but later, Lin Chunhua, being angry, decided to raise her granddaughter herself. Thus, Lin Shicha truly became everything to Lin Chunhua.
Over the years, because of Lin Shicha, Lin Chunhua lived life earnestly and determined for the first time, as she finally had a goal, which was to earn money to provide medical treatment and surgery for Lin Shicha.
Now, when Lin Shicha refused to have the surgery, her goal disappeared, leaving her feeling lost and at a loss. She feared that Lin Shicha would suddenly disappear from her life, just like her grandfather did in the past.
She didn't even know how she was supposed to live.
People become more fragile and contemplative as they grow older.
Lin Shicha stood for a long time, then sighed slowly, and the next morning at breakfast she said, "I was just joking about not having the surgery yesterday, please don't mind." She added, "Of course, I want the surgery. I have never participated in physical education classes at school before." because she couldn't engage in intense exercise.
Lin Chunhua breathed a sigh of relief, "Okay, okay." She repeated twice, "Is there enough money on your meal card? If it's not enough, tell me. You need to eat well at school, and make sure you get the nutrition. I've put milk on the table for you. Take it to school and drink it at noon."
"Here, I've peeled the eggs for you, you need to eat the egg whites." The child didn't like to eat the egg whites, whether steamed or boiled, and Lin Chunhua tried hard to make her eat.
Lin Shicha frowned and reluctantly took the egg and bit into it, quickly swallowing it, and then hastily drank some porridge to filter the taste of the egg white from her mouth.
At seven o'clock sharp, Lin Shicha waited for the bus to school.
As soon as she got on the bus, she saw a familiar person. He was wearing a school uniform and holding the handrail. He glanced at her and quickly looked away. With his healthy, wheat-like complexion, he looked exceptionally handsome in the spring morning light. Moreover, he had a height advantage due to his frequent basketball games, but since he was surrounded by a group of female students, they often glanced at him discreetly.
Lin Shicha walked slowly over and, during the peak commuting period, there were no seats available. She stood for a while, stretching her arm and inadvertently lifting her skirt by half an inch, exposing her fair and slender legs that were quite eye-catching. The morning light brushed over, revealing a mix of light and dark shadows between her thighs and the hem of her skirt.
When he saw this, his breath paused. His first reaction was not to look more but to look at others. After all, there were few students on the bus, and most were gathered around him. Moreover, there were mostly adults, and even a well-fed man wearing glasses was blatantly checking out her legs.
His face stiffened, and after a long time, he finally found his voice, "If you're short, can't you just grab a seat?"
His voice was extremely conspicuous in the quiet morning bus. However, she hesitated for a moment before she hesitantly lowered her hand, probably uncertain if she was being addressed.
"Who else is beside me?" He was very angry as he grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards the back of a seat. "Hold on tight," he commanded coldly.
The girl who was being assisted by the back of the seat moved inside, huddling with her school bag to cover her mouth and nose, and didn't dare to gaze around casually.
"Are you concerned about me?" She tilted her head, slightly raised, and looked at him.
"Do you have the face to ask that? You're just delusional." he replied without expression, not even looking at her.
The author has something to say: I just returned from a long journey, which was actually a love poem. The complete verse is: "I have traveled a thousand miles and returned. My heart of love will always be with you. I am willing to accompany you to old age. My love, I long for your return in the wind." In fact, it was a subtle way for the little puppy to try to keep Tea Tea's affection, but unfortunately, Tea Tea didn't care and didn't even intentionally search for the meaning of the poet. PS: Continue to give out red envelopes, leave comments enthusiastically! At the beginning of the article, it was very cold because there was no ranking, so I hope that Tea Tea's little cuties will lift up the comments section!!